George d



(No Model.)

. MAYO.

WORK TRANSPERRING ANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 453,494. Patented June 2,1891.

Ni'rnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lEORGE D. MAYO, OF FRANKLIN, NElV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGUOR TO THE SULLOVAYMILLS, OF SAME PLACE.

WORK-=TRANSFERRING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,494, dated June 2,1891.

Application filed August 12, 1890. Serial No. 361,768. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE D. MAYO, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Franklin, county ofMerrimac, and State of New'llampshire, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in \Vork-'lransferring Mechanism forKnitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of worktransferring mechanisms inwhich a series of transferring-points projecting from a disk or carrierare in operation mounted above and substantially over theknittingmachiue needles with which they are to co-operate, and aresuccessively brought into relation to their appropriate needles topermit of the transfer of the loops carried by them thereto by impartingto their disk or carrier a Wabbling movement back and forth across itsplane while held from rotation. In. work transferring mechanisms of thisclass as heretofore constructed the shaft, which supports the disk orcarrier at its lower end by a ball-and-socket connection or by a crankor eccentric having an inclined axis, is dependent from the un der sideof a frame or arm suitably mounted upon the upper side of the bed-plateor knitting-machine table, and the transfer of the loops from thetransferring-points to the needles is effected, when these parts arebrought into relatiomby slipping such loops from the former down uponthe latter either by hand.

or by a transferring-plate or a series of transferring-bits, which twolatter are operated from the disk or carrier supporting shaft throughsuitable connections. These forms of mechanism, while efficient inoperation and accomplishing the objects for which they were intended,have been found inconvenient in practice when used in connection withsome forms of machine, principally because of the fact that inconsequence of the presence of other parts upon the bed-plate ormachinetable the application of the frame or arm thereto is renderedextremely difficult if not needle-cylinder, which shall dispense withthe usual transferring-plates and bits and accomplish the automatictransfer of the loops from the transferring-points to the needles by theaction of the transferring-points alone, and which shall permit of theready removal of the disk or carrier from its supporting-shaft and ofits replacement thereon, as the exigencies of the knitting or theoccasion may demand.

To these ends the invention consists, first, in the combination, with asuitable block or base adapted to enter and lit the upper end of theneedle-cylinder of a knitting-machine,

of work-transferring points and cooperative parts mounted thereon,whereby the mechanism may be applied to the upper end of such cylinderand there held or be removed therefrom, as desired; second, in theconstruction of the transferring-points and in their combination withboth their supporting and operating devices and with theknitting-machine needles, whereby they may be brought into relation totheir respective needles to permit of the loops carried by them beingtransferred thereto; third, in the special means made use of for holdingthe disk or carrier which supports the transferring-points upon itsoperating crank or eccentric, and, fourth, in various otherconstructions and combinations of parts, all of which will behereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion ofa circular-knittin g machine with my invention applied in connectiontherewith, the disk or carrier which supports the transferringpointsbeing shown in central section; Fig. 2, asection of thework-transferring mechanism, taken on the line a: w of Fig. 1, lookingdownward; Fig. 3, a section of the transferringpoint disk orcarrier-shaft, taken on the line y y, Fig. 1, looking upward; Fig. 4:, afront and side elevation, respectively, of one of the work-transferringpoints detached; and Fig. 5, a detail, looking upward, the section beingtaken on the line 2 .2.

In all the figures like letters are employed to designate correspondingparts.

A indicates the needle cylinder, at the needle, and A the cam-cylinder,of a circularknitting machine, which, so far as my present inventionextends, are or may be with their co-operating parts of any ordinary orpreferred construction and require no further description herein.

B indicates the block or base in and upon which the transferring devicesare mounted and carried. This block or base in my preferred form ofconstruction is adapted to enter and fit the upper end of theneedle-cylinder in connection with which it is to be employed, and maybe provided on its periphery with an outwardly-projecting flange 1) orother equivalent stop, whereby its entrance down into theneedle-cylinder beyond a cer- J tain distance may be prevented.

Journaled in a bearing 1), formed in the block or base B, is a shaft 0,the lower portion 0 of which is preferably reduced in diameter to adaptit to fit therein and afford a shoulder c to rest upon the upper side ofthe block or base and maintain the shaft at the same elevation withrespect to said side at all times. In addition thereto this shaft isalso provided with a turn-button c at its lower end, whereby it may bedetachably locked in the hearing I), and with a crank c or otherequivalent means at its upper end, through which its rotation may beeffected.

Secured to or formed integrally with the shaft 0 is a crank or eccentricD, which in my preferred form of construction is made tapering in formand arranged upon the shaft with its axis inclined at an angle thereto.In the drawings I have shown this crank or eccentric disposed with itssmaller end downward; but it is obvious thatthe same may be reversed andthe larger end arranged in that position without departing from myinvention.

Mounted upon the crank or eccentric D is the disk or carrierE,which isdetachably held thereon by means of the yoke F. This yoke is providedwith a circular orifice f, which is slightly larger in diameter thanthelarger end of the crank or eccentric, and has connecting with it arecess f, as shown. As thus constructed, the yoke is secured to theupper side of the disk or carrier by means of screws e, which, passingthrough slots e in the former, enter suitable holes formed in thelatter. Vhen the disk or carrier is applied to the crank or eccentricand the yoke is in the position shown Figs. 1 and 2, the disk or carrierwill be secured thereon and held from displacement. When, onthe otherhand, the yoke is moved so as to bring the orifice f over the disk oreccentric, the disk or carrier may be removed by sliding it down oversuch crank or eccentric and over the lower end of the shaft 0 when thislatter is detached from its bearin g in the block or base B.

To prevent the rotation of the disk or carrier. when the parts areassembled and the shaft 0 is rotated, Iprovide the stud or post N, whichis fixedly secured in and extends up wardly from the block or baseBandengages with the slotted lug e projecting outward from the hub thereof.By these means, as will be seen, the disk or carrier will be positivelyrestrained from rotation, and the only movement that will becommunicated to it by the rotation of the shaft will be the Wabbling oneback and forth across its plane.

Secured to the disk or carrierE so as to depend from its under side andincline slightly inward are the transferring-points g,'thro ugh whichthe transfer of the loops of the fabric to the knitting-machine needlesis effected. These transferring-points are each provided on its outerside with a longitudinal groove g, for reception of the needle to whensuch point is carried over it, and also with a transverse groove g forreceiving and carrying the loop of the fabric when placed therein.

As thus constructed, when. the transferring mechanism is applied to theknitting-machine, the transferring-points will be supported above theneedle-cylinder in the position shown in Fig. 1, and will besuccessively carried down in rear of their appropriate needles, withtheir longitudinal grooves g over the rear upper portions of the same,as illustrated at the right in said figure, by i111? parting to theirdisk or carrier a wabbling movement back and forth across its plane,which may be done by rotating the shaft 0 and with it the crank oreccentric D, upon which the disk or carrier is mounted. The movement ofthe transferring-points as they are carried down over the rear upperportions of the needles by the wabbling of their disk or carrier alsocarries down the transverse grooves 9 over the needle-hooks until theyregister with theirinteriors, the effect of which movement is to forcethe loops carried in these grooves down into the hooks of the needles,where they are securely held as the transferring-points ascend in theirfurther movement, and their transfer thereto is thus accomplishedwithout the aid of other appliances.

To secure the transferring-points to their disks or carrier, any of thewell-known methods may be adopted. I prefer, however, to provide themwith a flattened shank-like portion g and to secure them bysolder orotherwise in suitable grooves formed in the periphery of the carrier, asshown.

The parts being constructed and arranged as above set f0rth,theoperation of the mech anism will be as follows: The shaft will first bedetached from the block or base, the yoke which holds the disk orcarrier in place properly adj usted, and the disk or carrier removedfrom the crank or eccentric and from the shaft. The loops of the fabricwill then be picked upon the transferring-points and carried into thetransverse grooves formed therein. The parts of'the mechanism will thenbe reassembled, the block or base adjusted in the upper end of theneedle-cylinder, and the crank at the upper end of the shaft revolved.The effect of this revolutionof the shaft will be to cause the disk orcarrier to wabble back and forth across its plane and successively carrythe transferring points down into relation to their appropriate needles,forcing the loops carried by their transverse grooves down into thehooks of the needles, and thereby accomplish their transfer thereto.

From the above it will be seen that I produce a work-transferringmechanism which, while simple in construction and efficient inoperation, maybe applied in connection with any of the various forms ofknitting-machines and effect the transfer of the work theretoautomatically.

In the foregoing I have described the best means contemplated by me forcarrying my invention into practice; but I wish it distinctly understoodthat I do not limit myself strictly thereto, as it is obvious that I maymodify the same in various ways without departing from the spiritthereof.

Again, while I have shown my invention applied in connection with aknitting-machine of the latch-needle class, it is to be understood thatit is not applicable to that'class of machines alone, but may beemployed in connection with some forms of machines of thespring-bearded-needle class and operate with equal efficiency.

Having described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with a block or base adapted to enter the upper endof a needlecylinder, a series of transferring-points, and a carrier forsuch transferring points, of devices for mounting said carrier upon theblock or base and permitting of its operation thereon, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a block or base adapted to enter and fit theupper end of a needle cylinder, a series of transferringpoints, and adisk or carrier upon which the transferring-points are supported, of ashaft journaled in said block or'base, and a crank or eccentric uponwhich the disk or carrier is mounted secured to said shaft with its axisinclined at an angle thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a series of knitting-machine needles anddevices for supporting them, a series of transferring-points provided onthe outer side of each with both a longitudinal needle-receiving grooveand with a transverse loop receiving and carrying groove, and a disk orcarrier to which the transferring-points are secured, of devices'forsupporting the transferring-points above the needles and for impartingto their carrier a wabblin g movement back and forth across its plane tosuccessively carry them down in rear and over their appropriate needlesto effect the transfer of the loops of the work thereto, substantiallyas described.

at. The combination, with the disk or carrier provided with thetransferring-points, and the crank or eccentric upon which it ismounted, of the yoke provided with the orifice f, having the recess fcommunicating therewith, whereby the disk or carrier may be detachablyheld in position upon the crank or eccentric, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the block or base 13, the disk or carrier E,provided with the

